


Callousness

by nezukun



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prison, Dark, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prison, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-01 17:21:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11491068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nezukun/pseuds/nezukun
Summary: “Let me guess, you’re that guy that goes ‘I’m not here to make friends’ and eats alone in the cafeteria because he’s too edgy for the public eye.”--A stoic expression was something that Eren had mastered, remaining apathetic as soon as he had entered the prison. Meeting a short man whose words pierced through his marred heart was the last thing that he wanted to experience.





	1. Chapter 1

The entirety of the uncomfortable van was caliginous and stuffy. Rugged breaths tickled Eren’s ear and he grimaced at the feeling of the stranger’s proximity, knees grazing. Not only that, condensation on the vehicle’s windows was beginning to build up as the drive continued, inevitable with the amount of people packed in such a small space.

Eren was being pressed into the van’s door with the pressure of the person next to him, still finding himself quite lucky to be next to only one other soon-to-be prisoner, instead of two. With the windows completely covered in water vapour, Eren’s only option was to keep his head hung low and vision downwards, not feeling the need to chance a glance at any of the others gathered.

Silence was indeed deafening in the van as the brunet’s ears rang softly. No one said a word, and it was so uncanny that Eren just wanted to scream to break the silence. Of course, that would make him look psychotic, so he refrained from doing so for now.

A few seconds had passed, before the vehicle shook violently after a harsh bump on the road interrupted the smooth journey. Eren hissed at the pain caused to his side as it was jammed into the door handle.

“Shit… it’s almost as if that driver isn’t even trying to give two shits if we make it there or not.” A voice spoke up from beside him, finally offering something other than the disturbing breaths against his ear.

Some quiet grumbles followed but most stayed quiet. The brunet knew it was best to also stay mute, but he reacted before he could stop.

“Relax, that wasn’t intentional.”

His simple statement had earned him stares from all directions, and he immediately regretted doing that. The man sitting beside him was displaying an expression that looked almost confused, as if he hadn’t expected someone to question his comment. The short blond hair atop his head almost made him look like a normal man in his 20s, if the handcuffs around his wrists were completely forgotten about.

Eren wanted to roll his eyes, but he knew the unwanted attention would increase after such an action.

“And how would you know that, kid, you some expert on road bumps?” Spat the man.

Fighting the urge to make a face, Eren stayed silent and turned his head towards the condensated window to avoid further stares and eye contact. He heard a click of the tongue beside him but chose to ignore it.

“Trying to be a peacekeeper when you’re on your way to prison, nice one.” The blond’s voice irritated him and he wished the diminutive breaths against his ear would return so he didn’t have to hear it anymore.

Trying his best with the silver handcuffs hugged tightly around his wrists, Eren wiped a small fragment of the water vapour from the window and looked out. Although the views weren’t enchanting or in any way mesmerising, he needed something to remember before he’d be seeing the same thing every single day for a length of time. Mainly fields caught his eyes, some containing farm animals and some simply existing in solitude, barren and empty. Either way, Eren’s life was changing imminently so the brunet took in as much as possible.

Not much time had passed before the driver of the van spoke up, having to slide down the screen that divided him and the group of aloof passengers.

“You’d be happy to know we’re nearly there.” Came the way too chirpy announcement from the driver, seemingly blond too if the dark surroundings were a reliable source of analysis.

“Fucking ecstatic.” Mumbled the voice beside him with great acrimony.

The screen stayed open, and Eren’s spot in the 8-person van allowed him to steal a glimpse of the building that would separate him from the world for what would probably feel like eternity. Although the tormenting thought was more of a fact, Eren stayed nonchalant.

A last gaze at the outside world later, the van crossed the line between freedom and prison. Walls were now surrounding them, and although it was ill-lighted, Eren could still see the concertina wire that coiled and stretched the expanse of the walls through the tiny fragment of the window that was not blurry.

Not knowing the time but having a good hunch due to the starred sky, it was late at night and Eren was thankful for that fact, since those who had spent time here already would not have the chance to eye them up as they exited the vehicle. Judging them as if they had some sort of authority, as if they had not done anything bad to end up at such a place.

The van came to a halt and the driver hopped out. Officers already waited at the gates to escort the men and women to their respectable places. The prison seemed to work in gender-based rules, so the men and women were separated into two different buildings.

Before he could even study his surroundings, Eren was being grabbed by the arms and guided in the direction of the building to the right. Apprehension started rising in his gut as he took in the size of the prison, the floors numbered with large, block numbers going from 1-17. Each floor had around six windows with bars situated on each of them (of course not counting the whole perimeter of the building, but only the front).

The walk took longer than Eren thought it would and so he managed to sneak a glance at what seemed like the prison yard. Three ancient-looking, wooden tables were sprawled around the place with matching stools, while one corner of the yard contained the work out equipment (if you could call it that). The ground was gravel, some patches uneven and weeds poked out at random spots signifying the little amount of tending that it received. In another far corner stood one chess table with missing chairs on either sides. Around the yard, was the same coiled wire that Eren had seen when they pulled up, but this time it embraced the entirety of the yard, from top to bottom. All in all, it looked like a very normal prison yard.

Stepping into the building was a completely different story. The illuminating lights inside caused the brunet to squint immediately, his eyes having to focus with the sudden change of brightness.

Although outside was silent, the inside complimented a prison life very thoroughly. Squeaks of shoes against the marble floor and shouts of protest came in waves as Eren’s group made their way towards inspection. Sardonic smiles reflected the untouchable personalities of only a few, while the frightened and tarnished expressions of others made them almost too easy to read.

Suddenly, the handcuffs were being unlocked from his wrists and Eren could finally move his hand around, although a tight grip still remained on his upper arm.

“You’ll be going through inspection, so line up with the others and wait for your turn.” Spoke firmly the woman keeping him in place, and Eren simply nodded.

Sauntering over to the line, his expression remained apathetic. He rubbed his wrists and waited for his turn.

A few more men went before he did, and the officer, whose hair was styled perfectly - possibly with the help of about two full containers of hair gel - handed him over the bland clothes that were the same as everyone else’s.

“Go into the room and change,” the tall man pointed to the room behind him, “put all of your belongings and whatever you have on you into one of the grey trays and then wait for further instructions”.

Taking the clothes that were being pushed into his chest, Eren entered the room and took a spot in the corner of the room. There were three other men inside, one already changed and sitting while the other two were in the midst of changing.

Wanting to get it over and done with and save further humiliation being buck-naked when another stranger enters after him, the brunet began to change out of his clothes.

“You alright, mate? You look a bit like all life has left your soul.” One of the men snickered and Eren’s eyebrows furrowed slightly while he glanced at the man, pulling up the grey trousers that barely fit him properly. On second thought, everything seemed to be grey in this prison.

“Am I supposed to be smiling?” Eren replied sarcastically but didn’t spare another look at the man as he pulled over the low-quality t-shirt that matched the bottoms perfectly.

The man snorted and Eren raised an eyebrow.

“We’re all here for a while so we might as well start off on the right foot.” The man, or more like boy, was quite petite, buzz-cut and an annoyingly positive expression dancing across his face.

Eren placed all of his belongings in the tray, and decided to show a disinterested look to the buzz-cut guy. Before he could say anything though, the smaller man continued.

“Let me guess, you’re that guy that goes ‘I’m not here to make friends’ and eats alone in the cafeteria because he’s too edgy for the public eye.” He snickered again, one of the two other men joining in with a chuckle, and Eren pursed his lips.

“Now let _me_ guess, you’re the clown that thinks by befriending everyone, his ass will stay out of trouble as long as he’s on good terms.” Eren retorted.

An unexpected chuckle sounded as buzz-cut listened to Eren’s comment, “Sure, wanna be that first friend? I’m Connie.”

Eren rolled his eyes and a second later an officer entered the room, telling everyone in an obnoxiously and unnecessary loud voice that they will now be searched before being sent off to their cells.

One by one, they were tapped down by the officers and when deemed safe, sent off with a guard to be shown their very own cell. Oh, what joy.

As soon as Eren was done, the guard, who stood waiting for the brunet to approach, guided him along the corridor towards the elevator that would take them to whatever floor Eren was going to be staying at. Seeing the officer press the button, he found out his floor was number 5.

Not too high, then. He decided this was a good thing, seeing as the ability and convenience of getting to the prison yard would be better for him than for those who were above him.

“Once we exit the elevator, I will show you to your cell,” spoke the woman, facing the metal door as she talked, “It is one in the morning, so it is past blackout and the lights have been turned off. Your cell is not yet occupied so it will be an exception, but you have five minutes to set up before the lights go back off, understood?”

“Sure.” Came Eren’s reply, the door of the elevator opening a second later.

It was definitely dim as the two exited the lift and the lack of noise only made it seem as if the place was not even a prison. For a moment, that is what Eren imagined, but reality came back when he was standing in front of his cell.

The doors were automatic, a red light visible at the side showing that it is open, a bold ‘133’ shaped on the front of it to number the cell and differentiate it from others.

No more words were spoken by the officer and Eren stepped into the inadequate in size room, before a cacophonous slam of the heavy cell door made him nearly jump out of his skin. Looking back, he saw a last glimpse of the glasses perched on the officer’s face through the tiny, probably unbreakable window that the door offered, before she disappeared.

Eren sighed and sat down on the bottom bunk, the thin mattress doing nothing to take away the uncomfortable feeling of the metal bars digging into his ass.

Sleeping on this was out of the question.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing that his body reacted to was the harsh pain coming from his spine, hand moving back on instinct and back arching a little to stretch while Eren’s tired eyes blinked open.

Next were his ears. They rang, and not like the usual way, but from the cacophonous sound of metal slamming against metal. Multiple voices shouting out inaudible orders, making Eren’s head pulse and an instant frown to form on his face.

When his vision finally registered, a view of a white concrete wall presented itself to him. Turning over so he was laying on his back, Eren rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up straight on the thin, old mattress that he had yet to properly cover with bed sheets.

Last night, after familiarising himself with the six by eight feet room, the brunet had passed out, surrendering to the tiredness that weighed down his body and fell into a surprisingly peaceful sleep. Peaceful it was while it lasted, and the after-morning pain of his spine from sleeping on barely anything was to be expected but still greatly abhorred.

“Counts! Out of your cells!”

The particular booming voice of an officer outside of his cell made Eren snap out of his dazed mood, and he pulled the covers off that he had carelessly thrown over himself the night before.

The brunet had no idea how this prison worked, and what the phrase ‘counts’ meant but nonetheless he scrambled out of the bed, stretching quickly and ruffling his bedhead. Another surprise attack came from his cell door as it was banged on.

“Do I need to repeat myself, inmate?!” Yelled the officer and Eren stumbled to the door.

The light on the side of the door shone a deep red, signifying the freedom for the prisoners from their cells. Eren pulled the door open swiftly and curiously gazed around the pod.

A harsh thump against Eren’s chest stopped the brunet’s breath from coming out as his heart made an uneven beat. Beryl-coloured eyes flicked back and forth from one side of the room to the other, running over the faces of all other inmates, lined up in lines in front of their own cell doors. All eyes were on him, some glares and some filled with genuine curiosity towards the young male. It seemed that Eren was the last one to exit his cell, because as soon as he settled into the line, silence fell inside the pod.

His eyes then settled on the five officers that stood with lists, checking off every person with their eyes roaming around expertly as if it were a school register. Meanwhile, Eren was doing his own analysis silently.

The fifth floor pod seemed to hold younger, and what seemed like a lot more dangerous and reckless, men who varied in appearance and behaviour greatly. Some taller than others, some bulkier, and others quieter and a lot more meek. Eren recognised one of the men lined up, still an irritating half-grin plastered on his face. Connie, was that his name? Either way, the guy stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the solemn expressions and muscular figures that stood on either side of him.

Another man, this time taller but leener, caught Eren’s interest. Short, black hair that split in the middle adorned his head and freckles that stood out even from a few metres away made the whole scene look completely ridiculous. It was as if someone put the guy here by accident, with the angelic and innocent aura that he was giving off. Eren wanted to laugh, but he was even more curious to find out what the guy had to do to end up in this place with a face that could convince any jury to let him off. He was also smiling, but not in the way buzz-cut was, instead it seemed a lot more genuine, and if you asked Eren, a lot more eerie.

Focusing on the man for too long, Eren did not realise an officer pushing past him towards the cells behind him. Confused, he spoke to no-one in particular, “What’s going on?”

“Bed check.” A grumble next to him answered his vague question and the brunet furrowed his brows further. Glancing in the direction from which the voice came, Eren recognised the male as one of the members from the group they had been in while in the van last night. His face was a complete contrast to the last two men, resembling a grimace that Eren had seen many times looking in the mirror. A dirty blond nest of thin-looking hair covered the shorter, darker undercut that the male sported. He was a few centimetres taller than Eren, but the way he was lowering his gaze with weak antagonism made him look vulnerable.

For a few seconds, Eren was highly bemused by the concept of the so-called ‘bed check’, but after realisation came down to Earth and the brunet noticed his fuck up, he cursed under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb with a head hung low.

He didn’t want to admit that his heart was beating stronger than it had been before, and that anxious thoughts of worst case scenarios played on repeat in his mind as the officers made their way around. Noting the appearance of beds in all of the other cells that Eren could set his eyes upon, it was clear that the prison expected their inmates to take cleanliness seriously. Ironic it was, however, as the cells and the yard that Eren had briefly seen had presented anything but care from the staff.

“Whose cell is this?” Eren looked up from his momentary slump and at the officer who was shining a torch light into his cell room even though it was morning.

Clearing his throat, Eren stuck his hand in the air, “Mine.”

Unimpressed and annoyed grumbles sounded in the pod from other inmates and a specific, displeased click of the tongue, but Eren chose to ignore it. After all, he had all reasons to not know about the rules of this place.

“You think this is a joke, kid?” The older man with the official uniform shot Eren a stern look while his finger pointed out the mattress that was not yet covered, and bed sheets not made in the slightest. All in all, Eren’s cell was a mess and he wasn’t sure if he should have feared the officer more or the death glares that the other prisoners were sending him for wasting their free time.

To his luck, the officer seemed to realise his amateurity, only tapping on the cell door and signaled with his head for Eren to go back in and make his bed properly. The brunet did so hastily, and soon the paper mattress was covered with some extra cushion from the bed sheets, Eren tucking the corners in to resemble what the beds looked like in the other prison cells.

“You got a name?” The sudden voice made Eren jump on the spot and he turned to meet eyes with the blond from earlier. The question seemed entirely stupid, but Eren sighed and turned back to his bed-making to make sure everything was up to standard.

“Eren,” he answered, disinterested.

Outside, the pod seemed a lot more lively now that the officers had finished counting, and strangers flooded the limited space. Many remained in the pod, using the available seats to gather and play cards or waste the time away with discussions. A few took the stairs that led down towards the prison yard, and that was where Eren was currently headed, needing the fresh air to calm his mind after the events from last night and this morning.

It would have pleased him, if it was not for a sheep following closely behind him.

Eren whipped his head around to stare at the blond, “Do you need me for anything?”

“Not necessarily, just thought you’d need a friend on your first day.” The tone was sarcastic but adamant, and Eren knew he was not getting rid of this one.

“Is this high school? Why are all of you so eager to get chummy with each other?” The brunet huffed and hopped down the third flight of stairs. Two to go.

The other male scoffed, “Seeing as you had no idea you actually have to make your bed in the morning, you might make use of someone telling you more about the place.”

Eren hated to admit that the man was right, and the fact that he got away with the bed situation today was out of pure luck, “So what do they call you around here, Clingy Fuck?” He questioned as his left foot began the last flight of stairs.

“Close, but I’m Jean.” The other retorted.

“Boring.” Double doors were open and as soon as the two men stepped down from the last step, the breezy air from the outside hit them immediately.

The yard seemed to stretch pretty far, an area exposed for basketball that Eren seemed to miss last night was being used by a few of the men gathered. Although the chess table was missing chairs, there was still a game happening between two very focused, older prisoners eyeing each other down as if to manipulate one another using thoughts.

The autumn wind sent shivers down Eren’s spine and he quickly slipped his hands into the loose pockets of his grey prison uniform. The coiled wire of death was still present, surrounding the walls from all sides and Eren realised where he was once again.

Before his thoughts could develop, Jean’s voice interrupted the process, “Come this way.”

Reluctantly, Eren followed the blond towards the other end of the yard. What seemed like a worn-out picnic table was their final destination and Jean sat up on it, feet on the bench. Eren still was not sure what the blond wanted from him, and with the amount of dramas he watched about prison life, he knew the male would demand something from him at some point.

“Look, I’d rather n-”

“Jean!”

The shout had Eren whipping his head around even though it was not directed at him, a tall figure making their way over to them, and what the brunet recognised as the tall and lean innocent angel from before. To his surprise, Jean hurried to jump off the picnic table and embrace the raven in a quick, pat-on-the-back hug.

Eren stood awkwardly at the side, hands in pockets and observing the two men before him.

“Who’s this?” The raven spoke up first and directed a questioning gaze towards Eren.

“Eren,” Jean answered, “Didn’t make his bed this morning and held everyone up for a few minutes.”

“Oi,” Eren furrowed his brows at the blond and the raven chuckled.

“I’m Marco.” The angel shared his name and Eren nodded slightly in understanding.

He decided to settle down at the picnic table, slipping into one of the two benches instead of sitting atop it like Jean did. Letting the breeze freshen him up, Eren thought about the tiny cell he would have to eventually go back to. Being surrounded by blank walls in such a diminutive room would make anyone irritated, and Eren could not imagine what it would be like after some time had passed. He had no interest in making himself at home, feeling disgusted even thinking about the place as something familiar to him, lip curling up in disdain as he momentarily let his eyes fall shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter! I'm introducing the concept of prison life a little for now so I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't very exciting. 
> 
> Any comments or kudos will be helpful and encouraging so thank you for leaving them :)
> 
> Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

A decision made by Eren to exercise his body at least a little every morning was one of the things keeping him sane in the cramped confinement. Each sunrise, right before counting was announced, Eren determinedly counted the number of push ups in his head as he pressed his bare chest against the cold floor, before rising up again and repeating this process twenty times.

Each morning, the number of push ups increased by five. This helped not only his strength, but kept his mind awake and his brain thinking, an important quality to hold in such a place. Four days had already passed, and Eren’s willingness to talk to anyone else other than Jean and Marco had not increased. The three usually stayed in the yard, at the picnic table that was on its last legs, and sometimes Connie joined them too, claiming to be Eren’s friend, to which the brunet denied but accepted his fate shortly after.

As if on queue, the familiar order of ‘Counts!’ sounded through the pod while Eren was on his last push up. Letting out a heaved sigh, he bounced back up and reached for the top part of his uniform, sweat clinging to the material as it slid down his torso. Despite already knowing he had made the bed, he still checked to make sure it had not suddenly became un-made by itself, not wanting a repeat of the first morning he had spent here.

It seemed to be perfectly done, so Eren stepped out of the cell.

After counts and bed check, the five usual officers did not leave but instead remained at bay. Accompanying them on that day was the officer who had given Eren his uniform on the day of his arrival in prison, or rather the man whose hair looked like it could not move an inch even if it tried. Eren later on discovered that gel-head went by the name Smith.

“We are having an inspection today,” the foghorn-like voice informed the inmates, “Any failure to follow orders or breaking of rules will result in severe punishment.” His statement was adamant and the cold, acerbic tone told everyone he was not playing around.

The words remained threatening, albeit some prisoners not being influenced, and found this as a chance to perform mischief, if the low chuckles were anything to go by. For Eren, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like he was the troublemaker of the place; he was barely even seen by the others with how low-key he kept his presence.

Without another word the officers left, the perfectly lined up prisoners now scattering and separating into their own groups as the automatic doors shut behind them, light turning from red to green.

Once outside, Eren, Jean and Marco settled in their designated area. Eren sat in his usual spot on the inside of the picnic table, looking out at the expanse of the prison yard, Marco beside him and Jean on the edge of the scraped off wooden surface. Without much hesitation, Marco brought out a prized possession, the cigarette packet resting on his thigh as he lighted a singular one, holding it between his lips.

Eren furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the man, “Where’d you get the lighter from?” His voice showed confusion at the potential weapon that could be used by the prisoner at any time since he carried it freely in his pocket.

One drag of the cigarette later, Marco turned his attention towards Eren, “Not too hard when you work at the Crafts Pit. Lucky ones get to work for extra food and lights,” the raven stashed away his lighter and cigarettes, “Helps with business around here also; those who don’t work have no lights, so they come to people like me and offer trades.”

Eren’s inquisitive mind was satisfied, and he offered Marco a nod in return.

“You smoke?” Jean questioned.

Shaking his head, Eren gazed up at Jean, “Never really fancied the idea of corrupting my lungs for fun.”

The blond rolled his eyes and Marco jokingly let out a puff of smoke in Eren’s direction, making him grimace and throw a few, subtle curses towards the two bastards.

Albeit the day seemed to be going as usual, a rather obnoxiously loud thud coming from the workout area of the yard interrupted the harmonious thought process - perhaps even an existential crisis - that Eren was indulged in. In a quick motion, his head whipped around towards the sound and eyes wandered curiously.

A weight from the workout bench seemed to be the source of the loud thud as it glistened in the mild sun from its position on the ground. What caught everyone’s attention, however, was the apparent fight that was happening before their very eyes next to the workout equipment.

Without much thought, the three men shot up from their seats rather excitedly and gathered around the area with the rest of the meddlesome bodies.

Eren’s eyes caught a glimpse of jet black hair as he stood on his tiptoes to see over the heads of many. Some punches were being thrown, if the sounds were anything to go by, and Eren found himself wanting to know who it was between. So as soon as there was a space in between the crowd for him to glance out of, he dived for it and observed.

Close to the workout equipment were two men, one shorter than the other, wearing expressions of strong hostility and distemper. The shorter of the two, a raven with a clean undercut, slipped from his rival’s sight into the left side. The act seemed to catch the taller man off guard, and his eyes lost focus for a mere second. A second was too long however, as the shorter used this to his advantage to grab a handful of the other’s hair and bring him down in a swift movement. Like a skilled predator, the raven guided the man’s face to make contact with the intense collision of his knee, and soon after, the rival’s nose was bloodied as was the raven’s knee.

Assuming it was not enough, the shorter male smashed an elbow into the side of the taller’s temple, precision perfected as the sensitive part was struck with utmost faultlessness. Eren’s pupils were dilated and lip bitten sore in an attempt to calm down from the scene playing out in front of him. The fight conveyed the impression of completion, however the shorter male that captivated Eren’s interest had other ideas.

Swaying from side to side, the raven’s enemy was stabilised only for a second by the strong hold on his wrist, however he lamented such a thought as his wrist was turned in an angle with the brutal grip of the raven, snapping it like a tree branch with a look of hatred in his eyes. The cry of pain from the taller male muted all other sounds and the raven finally stepped back, panting with fists balled by his sides, an object tightly held in one palm. Sweat dripped down from his forehead and past his brow, while Eren stared at the impassive appearance.

Without another glance or care, the obvious winner of the fight turned and stalked away from the scene, hands in pockets. Many others were now heading back to their original places, seeing as officers were taking notice of the situation and making their way down to split up the gathering.

“Haven’t seen that happen for a while now.” Marco pointed out as the three headed back to their place.

“You mean a fight?” Jean questioned.

The freckled man shook his head, “Levi fighting. It’s been a while since he got involved in any brawl. Seems like he’s still as untouchable as ever.”

“You mean to tell me that that five foot tall guy takes down anyone who comes at him, and today wasn’t just luck for him?” Eren snorted.

“No one would be as stupid as to come at him without reasoning.” Sitting down on the bench, Marco told the two.

Eren shrugged. He had been expecting people like the raven when he was told about his prison sentence, and he wasn’t surprised by the fear that others probably had of him. As long as the brunet didn’t involve himself in his business, there would be no conflictive behaviour.

“Seems like there’ll be another problem, though.” Jean pointed out, as he guided the other two with his eyesight towards the officer and two other, bulkier men standing at the entrance of the prison yard. The two held clipboards in their hands, while the officer looked apologetic as he was explaining something.

Marco took out another cigarette from his packet, “A fight means breaking the rules, so those two will have it rough after what Smith said this morning about the inspections.”

Eren raised a brow, “Aren’t lighters also not allowed here?”

The tall raven raised a forefinger and pressed it against his lips, swiftly lighting the cigarette and making the most out of the remaining time they had outside.

-

Erwin Smith stood with a stern expression painted across his face, clear disappointment and anger conveying through it.

“I thought I made myself crystal clear this morning, but some of you did not get the message through your thick skulls,” his accusement was directed towards a certain raven that stood opposite Eren as all inmates lined up against their cells for countdown, “Therefore my compromise remains. Ackerman, you are on lockdown for twenty-four hours. Object in any way and the time will raise.”

It was evident that Levi had envy boiling inside him and complete malevolence flowing through his veins, but despite that he remained silent. The man who lost the earlier fight stood further away with a bandaged wrist, head hung low and spite clearly showing through body language. It was a slightly unfair judgement, in Eren’s opinion, with the involvement of a second party in the fight, but who was he to question the Officer Smith?

“Counts over! Back in your cells!” Inmates sauntered towards their allocated cells and the metallic doors slammed closed.

Noticing tiredness was not yet taking over, Eren picked out a book from under the bunk bed and made himself as comfortable as possible on the bottom bunk to start reading. That night, his dreams were filled with a character trying to find their way out of the woods, several, titan-like trees surrounding them as solitude was the only company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all kudos and comments, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


End file.
